Guinta, Shea-Porter, O'Connor square off in final debate before election

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Updated: 10:33 PM EDT Nov 3, 2016

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WEBVTT
NOW, NEWS AT 10:00.
>> WE BEGIN TONIGHT WITH
COMMITMENT 2016.
NIGHT THREE OF OUR GRANITE STATE
DEBATES, AND THE CANDIDATES FO
THE FIRST CONGRESSIONAL
DISTRICT.
GOOD EVENING.
I'M TOM GRIFFITH.
IT WAS A FEISTY NIGHT FOR ALL 3
ON STAGE.
INCUMBENT CONGRESSMAN,
REPUBLICAN FRANK GUINTA,
DEMOCRAT CAROL SHEA-PORTER AND
INDEPENDENT SHAWN O'CONNOR.
O'CONNOR: I'VE VOTED AS RECENTLY
AS 2014 FOR MEMBERS OF BOTH
PARTIES.
>> WHICH REPUBLICAN DID YOU VOTE
FOR?
>> YOU ARE A REPUBLICAN.
I'M GOING TO BACK YOU UP ON
THAT.
>> I MEAN YOU SEE THIS IS GREAT.
I AM A TRUE MODERATE.
BECAUSE THEY'RE BOTH TRYING TO
PUT ME INTO A SLOT.
>> NO, NO, NO.
TOM: WMUR POLITICAL DIRECTOR
JOSH MCELVEEN MODERATED
TONIGHT'S DEBATE AND JOINS US
LIVE FROM THE INSTITUTE OF
POLITICS AT SAINT ANSELM
COLLEGE.
REPORTER: OVER THE COURSE OF THE
LAST ELECTIONS, THE RIVALRY IS
OFTEN PLAYED OUT.
TONIGHT, THEY WERE NOT SHY ABOUT
CRITICIZING EACH OTHER BUT THIS
TIME THERE WAS A THIRD-PARTY
CANDIDATE ON STAGE AND AT TIMES
IT SEEMED LIKE THEY BECAME
UNLIKELY ALLIES GOING AFTER THE
NEW CANDIDATE ON STAGE.
LET'S SEND IT OUT TO ADAM
SEXTON.
REPORTER: THE LAST THREE DEBATES
HAVE BEEN TENSE AND TESTY
AFFAIRS.
THIS ONE WAS A LITTLE BIT
LIGHTER AND IT DEFINITELY HAS
SOMETHING TO DO WITH THE THIRD
PERSON ON THE DEBATE STAGE.
>> RACE, AND ENDORSED BERNIE
SANDERS.
>> OK, OK I GOT THIS, ALRIGHT?
REPORTER: IN THEIR 4TH GRANITE
STATE DEBATE MATCH-UP FRANK
GUINTA AND CAROL SHEA-PORTER
JOINED FORCES TO TAG-TEAM THE
NEW CANDIDATE ON THEIR TURF,
INDEPENDENT SHAWN O'CONNOR.
>> FOR THE LAST DECADE THE
VOTERS OF THIS DISTRICT HAVE HAD
TO CHOOSE BETWEEN ONE
HYPER-PARTISAN OR THE OTHER, AND
THEY'VE FIRED THEM CONSTANTLY,
ONE AFTER ANOTHER AFTER ANOTHER.
REPORTER: BOTH REPEAT CANDIDATES
TOOK TURNS BASHING O'CONNOR
SHEA-PORTER TAKING DIGS AT HIS
BUSINESS RECORD.
>> HE HAD A BOUTIQUE BUSINESS
THAT HELPED PEOPLE GET INTO LAW
SCHOOL.
WE NEED JOBS THAT PEOPLE CAN
ACTUALLY HAVE RIGHT NOW.
REPORTER: GUINTA SLAMMED
O'CONNOR AS A BERNIE SANDERS
PROGRESSIVE.
>> MR. O'CONNOR HAS IDENTIFIED
HIMSELF AS A PROGRESSIVE
DEMOCRAT, A BERNIE-CRAT, AND
THAT'S WHY HE WAS RUNNING FOR A
YEAR AND A HALF IN THE
DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY.
>> I UNDERSTAND THAT BOTH THE
CONGRESSWOMAN AND THE
CONGRESSMAN ARE UPSET ABOUT MY
METEORIC RISE IN THE POLLS, BUT
THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS I
CREATED JOBS HERE IN NEW
HAMPSHIRE.
REPORTER: SHEA-PORTER WAS FIRST
ELECTED TO CONGRESS IN 2006 ON
HER STRONG OPPOSITION TO THE
IRAQ WAR.
WHEN IT COMES TO SENDING GROUND
TROOPS BACK TO THE MIDDLE EAST
TO DEFEAT ISIS SHE SAYS NO.
>> WE WOULD NOT BE WELCOMED, OUR
PRESENCE WOULD NOT BE HELPFUL.
NOW DO WE NEED SPECIAL FORCES
THERE?
YES WE DO.
REPORTER: FRANK GUINTA STOOD UP
FOR ROCHESTER CONSERVATIVE
ACTIVIST JERRY DELEMUS, WHO IS
FACING CHARGES IN CONNECTI
WITH THE BUNDY RANCH STANDOFF
WITH FEDERAL AGENTS IN NEVAD
>> HE WENT OUT THERE IN A
PEACEKEEPING MISSION.
DO I THINK THERE WAS GOVERNMENT
OVERREACH HERE?
YES I DO.
REPORTER: WHEN IT COMES TO
WHETHER ANYONE CAN CHANGE THE
ATMOSPHERE IN CONGRESS EVERYONE
TOUTED THEIR BIPARTISAN
CREDENTIAL
>> I'VE WORKED FOR DEMOCRATS AND
I'VE WORKED FOR REPUBLICANS.
MY OPPONENTS ARE HYPER-PARTISAN
AND THEY MOCK ME FOR THAT I
ACTUALLY THINK THERE'S SOME
VALUE IN THAT.
>> NO OTHER REPUBLICAN CAN SAY
THEY'VE GOTTEN SIX PIECES OF
LEGISLATION SIGNED INTO LAW BY
THIS PRESIDENT.
PRESIDENT OBAMA AND I DON'T
AGREE ON MUCH, BUT HE WAS
WILLING TO WORK WITH ME.
>> WHEN THE REPUBLICANS ARE
TAKING A TRIP THEY TOLD ME THEY
LIKE TO GO WITH ME BECAUSE I
DON'T FIGHT WITH THEM, AND I'M
VERY PROUD OF THAT.
REPORTER: SO IN THE TWO
CANDIDATES WHO COULD BARELY MAKE
EYE CONTACT FOUND COMMON GROUND
TONIGHT IN ATTACKING A
THIRD-PARTY CHALLENGER.
REPORTER: A VERY DIFFERENT
DYNAMIC IN THIS DEBATE WHICH
CARRIED OVER TO THE SPIN ROOM
WHERE ALL THREE CANDIDATES TOOK
PART.
CAROL SAID THAT SHE WELCOMED
SHAWN O'CONNOR TO STAGE.
>> ANYBODY CAN RUN -- $50, SO.
YOU JUST PUT YOUR HEAD DOWN AND
YOU MAKE YOUR CASE TO THE PEOPLE
ABOUT WHY IT SHOULD BE YOU, SO.
I LOVE THE WAY NEW HAMPSHIRE
DOES POLITICS.
>> THERE IS SERVING AND GETTING
THINGS DONE AND THEN THERE IS
BEING AN INSIDER, INSIDER BY THE
ESTABLISHMENT.
THE ESTABLISHMENT MADE IT CLEAR
THAT I AM AN OUTSIDER AND I WILL
TAKE THAT LABEL ANYTIME.
>> I THINK THAT WE SAW WHY I AM
IN THE SELECTION.
BIANNUAL PARTISAN BICKERING.
BOTH OF THEM ARE SCARED THAT I
AM SURGING BECAUSE THEY WERE
ATTACKING ME WITH THEIR TYPICAL
PARTY LINES.
REPORTER: I AM JOINED NOW BY MY
COLLEAGUE.
A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT TONIGHT.
>> A LITTLE BIT OF A PARTY
CRASHER.
THOSE TWO HAVE BECOME SO
FAMILIAR WITH EACH OTHER.
IT ALMOST BECOMES LIKE A
CHOREOGRAPHED EVENT.
O'CONNOR CHANGED THE DYNAMIC
ENTIRELY.
HE WAS ATTACKED BY BOTH.
IT IS GOING TO BE INTERESTING TO
SEE HOW HE AFFECTS THE RACE.
HE IS PULLING AROUND 15%.
REPORTER: IT IS CLEAR THAT THEY
THINK THAT HE COULD IMPACT THIS.
THEY ALL GOT THEIR POINTS
ACROSS VERY WELL.
THEY WERE ALL RELAXED ON STAGE.
IT IS GOING TO BE INTERESTING TO
SEE HOW IT BREAKS DOWN.
BOTH OF THEM HAVE THEIR ISSUES
WITHIN THEIR OWN PARTY.
WE WILL SEE WHO SHA O'CONNOR
IMPACTS THE MOST.
REPORTER EVERYBODY WAS
WONDERING ABO --
[SPEAKING SIMULTANEOUSLY]
THERE THEY ARE --
>> SO THERE IT IS.
WE WILL BE BACK TOMORROW NIGHT.
BACK TO YOU IN THE STUDIO.
TOM: OUR COMMITMENT 2016
COVERAGE NEVER STOPS ON WMUR.COM
AND ON OUR MOBILE APP.
CLICK ON OUR POLITICS SECTION
AND THERE YOU WILL FIND EXTENDED

Candidates trade jabs in 1st Congressional District debate

Guinta, Shea-Porter, O'Connor square off in final debate before election

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Republican U.S. Rep. Frank Guinta and Democrat Carol Shea-Porter at times joined forces against Independent Shawn O’Connor, while at other times, they sought to tie O’Connor to their opponent’s party.

The three debated the top issues in the campaign in the Granite State Debate, hosted by WMUR-TV and the New Hampshire Union Leader.

Guinta and Shea-Porter have competed for the seat four times before. Shea-Porter held the seat from 2006 to 2010 and from 2012 to 2014, while Guinta won in 2010 and 2014.

O’Connor initially ran as a Democrat and supported U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders in the Democratic primary. But in the debate, he cast himself as centrist.

"My ideological center is the center," O’Connor said.

But Shea-Porter characterized O’Connor as an opportunist.

"He came to New Hampshire, and first he was a Republican. Then he was a corporate Democrat. Then he decided that he was going to be a Berniecrat because he realized an opportunity," Shea-Porter said. "So he ran around and said he was going to do all these wonderful things, and then he realized he couldn’t beat me in the primary, so then he flipped over to be an independent."

O’Connor later reiterated that he has worked with Republicans and would be able to do so again.

"I worked for a Republican member of Congress for four years," he said. "I was elected to the Republican National Convention as a delegate in 1996. So to suggest that I am a lifelong Democrat is an absolute mischaracterization."

"You are a Republican," Shea-Porter said in response. "I’m going to back you up on that."

Guinta stuck to portraying O’Connor as solidly on the political left.

"The reality is, Carol Shea-Porter identifies herself as a liberal Democrat, and Mr. O’Connor has identified himself as a progressive Democrat, a Bernie Democrat," Guinta said. "And that’s why he was running for a year and a half in the Democratic primary."

Moderator Josh McElveen of WMUR noted that every daily newspaper in the district that has endorsed a candidate is backing O’Connor, calling for an end to the back-and-forth elections of Shea-Porter and Guinta.

The two said they deserve to be sent back to Washington because they believe in public service.

"I think here in New Hampshire, we have a tradition of public service," Guinta said. "And that is exactly what I dedicated the last several years of my life to."

Shea-Porter said she was motivated to run again to help others.

"There’s no statute of limitations on caring about people, and I do care about people," she said. "I watched my mother care for (the older) generation, and we cared for my mother and father, and I understand the challenges and the great beauty and joy that our state offers to all of us."

O’Connor said the voters in the 1st District are ready for a change.

"I believe that fundamentally, this is a moderate district, and for the last decade, the voters of this district have had to choose between one hyper-partisan or the other, and they’ve fired them constantly, one after another after another," O’Connor said.

Guinta touted his work in Washington co-chairing the congressional task force trying to deal with the ongoing heroin epidemic. The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act legislation came out of that task force.

"One of the most important amendments in that legislation is my amendment to provide treatment and recovery services," Guinta said. "That particular amendment is going to save lives, particularly in New Hampshire."

But Shea-Porter said Guinta voted against a budget bill that would have funded the legislation.

"I would fund what he did not fund, which is the CARA bill so communities actually have money to put beds in and expand treatment," Shea-Porter said. "Because without money, it’s just talk."

Guinta insisted that the money for CARA would be sent to the states.

When Shea-Porter was first elected in 2006, it was in large part due to her strong opposition to the Iraq War, and she said Thursday that she would not be in favor of committing ground troops in the battle for Mosul to help defeat ISIS.

"We would not be welcomed," she said. "Our presence would not be helpful. Now, do we need Special Forces there? Yes, we do."

Shea-Porter and Guinta both said they were supporting the candidates at the top of the ticket of their parties, but O’Connor refused to commit to either Democrat Hillary Clinton or Republican Donald Trump.

"I’m going to continue to study the information that continues to come out about both of the candidates," O’Connor said. "Like a lot of American voters, there’s a lot of undecideds, I’m one of them, and I’m going to make a game-time decision. I’m going to work with whomever the president is."

The candidates split on various topics discussed during the debate. Shea-Porter and O’Connor said they were in favor of expanded commuter rail in New Hampshire, while Guinta said he’s opposed. Guinta and O’Connor said they would not be in favor of increasing the gas tax to pay for infrastructure improvements, while Shea-Porter said she would be willing to consider it.